Into the Night
by FromRussiaWithLove
Summary: X2 It is the night of the invasion on the mansion. One fifteen year old girl, Anna, must step up and lead a group of children to safety alongside Peter Rasputin, Colossus. The two teenagers struggle to stay alive as new feelings for each other emerge...
1. Chapter 1

_Privet! _Hello everyone! Well, here's the scope about this story. I started writing this a while ago, and I'm pretty pleased with how the first chapter ended up, even though it's kind of short. It's up to you guys whether you want me to continue this or not - if enough people are interested, then I'll keep adding on. As always, reviews help me so much as a writer, and I really appreciate even just the littlest remarks. Trust me, I do! ;) So once again, have fun and enjoy!

_P.S. X-men rocks! And Nightcrawler is my furry blue angel..._

**-FromRussiaWithLove**

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. _- Helen Keller_

The Mansion

Fifth of March, 2003

Midnight

For the third night in a row, Rogue lay on her bed thinking of Bobby's face, wondering how it would feel to touch his cheek and run her fingers through his hair. For not the first time she lay completely awake, eyes staring up at the ceiling. She gave a small smile as she thought about his lips, but it soon disappeared.

Jubilee wandered aimlessly through the foyer, speculating whether anyone would even be up at this hour. Her mind was already in the kitchen, getting out the huge bowl of chocolate fudge ice cream she knew was there; the thought was extremely tempting. Perhaps Kitty had had some earlier this week just to spite her. Jubilee grinned wickedly as she thought of ways to get back at her.

Pyro glanced at Bobby. The latter was swimming in blankets and sheets thick, while the former laid with his arms crossed and behind his head, sinking in thoughts thicker. Funny how the stillness of night brought out the demons that day couldn't comprehend.

The fourteen year old girl that was Kitty still had yet to let go of her childhood friends. Cuddles was stationed at the foot of her bed, an extremely worn pink elephant had found its way on the wooden floor, and Shadow, her favorite, was now cradled securely in her arms as she slept. It was a plush cat, the first toy animal she ever received. There was something innocent and sweet about its big blue eyes. She couldn't sleep without it.

**Chapter 1 **

**Anna**

It was Siren that initially woke me up. Moreover, her voice.

It was as if someone was driving a jackhammer through my skull, boring it so deep that my ears were pounding with the metallic screech, and as I futilely clapped my hands over them, I knew that something was terribly, undeniably wrong.

Forcing my eyes open against the pain, I saw that everyone was awake, all doing the exact same thing I was. I saw my own fear mirrored in their eyes. By now, I thought, the whole school should be awake. After all, Siren's room is on the level below ours. There was no way anyone could still be sleeping with that gift of hers.

And then, just as suddenly, it stopped. I slowly let go of my ears, too aware that my hands were shaking uncontrollably, my head still ringing with a dull hum. I caught eyes with Keyla across the room and neither of us said anything. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, until I heard her suck in a sharp breath of air, cutting the terrible silence that had settled on all of us.

"They're downstairs."

A rush of chills flew down my spine and my mind raced. Who was she talking about? Again the impending feeling grew inside of me, until it felt like I would burst soon if I didn't know.

"What do you mean?" a small, confused voice whispered in the shadows. Somewhere in the back of my mind I registered that it was Payton Adams. Only ten years old.

"There are people downstairs."

Before I could even begin to comprehend her words, a piercing beam of light shot through our room, blinding us; the sound of thumping boots on the floor, the _swish_ of rapid movements, filling us; and the vision of tall, solemn uniformed men with guns in their hands…

It terrified us.

I had only one second to think, but I never did at all.

I became invisible.

To think that a few weeks ago I had gone to the Professor for help, the fact that I still felt uncomfortable with this gift even after all these years…none of it mattered. Everything felt different all of the sudden. Miss Munroe and Mr. Summers had always told us to watch out for ourselves, to act responsibly. Know that there are people in this world who are not fond of mutants. Be aware, be prepared. I could feel my molecules buzzing at the thought. How could we have predicted this?

_Pow!_

"Keyla!"

Her body slumped against the bed post, thick curtains of black hair masking her face. It didn't take long to notice the two small dart-like objects protruding from her neck. She was still breathing. Relief came to me instantly, as I calmed the part of my brain that had thought…

No! Don't think! Go, run!

Without any more hesitation, I swung around the bed, promptly hitting one of the uniformed men in the gut with my heel, and as he crouched over in pain, I grabbed the hand of Payton and the other little girl next to her. Kara.

My eyes darted around the room. The others were out cold.

The man who I had struck steadied himself and along with the other two, mechanically poised his gun at the three of us. I realized with dread that the other two were still visible and with all of might, squeezing their hands as hard as I allowed myself to, slipped inside their bodies and forcefully pulled apart the molecules one by one. It was painful for me and I knew it would be painful for them, but there was no other way.

Breathlessly, I tugged on the bewildered girls' hands and ran as fast as I could out of the room, not before noticing the mens' state of awed shock as they realized they were now pointing their guns at nothing more than open air.

Stumbling into the corridor, we were met with a complete chaos of masses of petrified students running every which way, some bumping into us unknowingly, most without even realizing that they ran into actual people. Continuous beams of light were shooting through the high, glass-paned windows, running over faces of horror and shock each time, blaring its way into the mansion as swiftly as a storm. Upstairs, downstairs, everywhere, I had the sense that the exact same thing was happening all over the mansion. The thunderous pound of bare feet on wood almost drowned out the sound of stiff rubber pounding down the bedroom doors, the piercing cries and screams of the younger children almost just as haunting as the vision of those same children stunned by the mens' guns.

As much as I tried to stay calm, everything only came back harder than before. I felt like my gut had sunken in on itself. Everything I saw was one more blow I feared I couldn't take…

I closed my eyes and took a breath.

There was nothing I could do but deal with it.

Holding their hands tighter, somewhere inside of me was the knowledge that we had to get out of there, and fast.

"Let's go."

§


	2. Chapter 2

_Privet! _Thanks for those who reviewed the first chapter! I just want to say that though I love getting reviews, my biggest passion is for my stories and my characters; I really, _really_ do love writing. I just didn't want to give off the wring impression. ;) In any case, this chapter was surprisingly easy for me to write (I usually take a while to update), so the good news for you is: the ideas are just POURING out of me! Which means, of course, that there will be more chapters on the way! Woot! -pumps fist-

As always, have fun and enjoy! Please do review. )

**-FromRussiaWithLove**

**Winter Blaze**: Yay! You were my first reviewer! Thank you so much. I award you with….eh….hmm. Do you like cookies? You know, I make a mean batch…XD

**Little Hobbit**: Nifty. I like that word. No one's ever described my writing as such so thank you! I know, I've always liked to introduce new characters as well. Anna won't be the only one, so you'll just have to wait and see. ;)

**The Hollister**: I'm glad you gave this story a chance! I hope to hear from you again, and that you'll enjoy this chapter too!

§

**Chapter 2**

**Escape**

My heart was pounding so fast in my chest, I swore it was beating for at least three other people besides myself. I had never considered myself much of a runner, but as soon as we entered the darkened corridors, my feet took off with an urgency that surprised even me. The two girls struggled to keep up with me, and not more then once I had to hush them or hurry them along if they tripped on the velvet carpeting with their small, clumsy feet. I felt cruel for doing so, but we didn't have the time to be patient. We had to leave, find a way out of the mansion. In my head, a sharp whine of panic ensued, making my nerves bubble up inside of me with newfound fervor. Why couldn't I remember where all the secret passageways were located?

Was I not paying attention when Mr. Summers told us? Was that the time I spent all night studying for an exam, too tired the next day in class to take any notes? The thoughts kept coming in dangerous, rolling waves. And what if I never find the passageways? What will happen then?

I couldn't keep us all invisible for much longer. I could tell the power was fading as I grew faint with worry. Just as the girls started materializing again, I rounded a sharp corner, all of the sudden coming face to face with one of the armed men.

My heart stopped. All I could think of were the two little girls next to me. Before I even knew what I was doing, I grabbed the arm that the men was using to hold his gun and in one swift motion, sunk my teeth into his skin, pressing deeper then I ever had before.

The man howled in pain, stumbling back into the wall. When I looked down at his arm, it was soaked with blood; there were two perfectly spaced fang marks imprinted in his skin. The blood was sickeningly hot in my mouth, and as it dripped down my fangs and onto my chin, the man sunk slowly to the floor. I never noticed he was still holding the gun.

"Bitch," he muttered.

The shot was fast and light, and for a moment, I didn't feel anything at all. The only thing I did was grab the two girls' hands again and dash away from the man, turning instead into another corridor lined with now broken vases and priceless artifacts. It wasn't until Payton screamed that I finally noticed the dart that protruded from my neck. With a shaky hand, I tore it out with one sharp motion. I threw it on the ground with disgust and hurried them along once more, only faintly aware that my head was growing a little fuzzy.

_"Come on!"_

One corridor blended into the next. Groups of children were madly running every which way, so caught up in the frenzy that everytime I pleaded with one for directions to the nearest passageway, they only brushed me off harshly, eyes glazed over with fear. Part of me wanted to cry out in frustration, but in my heart I couldn't blame them. They only wanted to survive.

I could feel the blood quickly drying on my lips, and I wiped a hasty hand across my mouth. I had hoped I hadn't frightened the girls to much with what had happened before, but the two remained deathly silent as we picked our way through the students. I could even feel Kara's small, pale hand trembling. I gave it a squeeze of reassurance, pulling apart the molecules in my two dagger-like teeth so they appeared normal once more. As long as they were invisible, I was as normal as the next person.

"Go, quickly! Let's go!"

But the voice was not my own. It was much deeper, and incredibly thick with an accent I couldn't quite trace. Nervously, I stopped the two girls, the two crashing into me as they looked up in confusion. I took a hesitant hand around the corner of the corridor, one bright green eye peeking at the source of the voice. I could only sigh in relief when I found it wasn't one of the uniformed men.

I hurriedly tore ahead, dragging the girls along with me. My nightgown rippled against my bare ankles, hair billowing behind me like a golden flag as I breathlessly ran towards the boy who had uttered those words. Yet, in giving him another glance, I took in the sight of his massive torso and firm muscled arms, blinking in wonder at the incredible size and height that one body could possess. He loomed even larger than most of the men who were attacking us. When I cleared the thoughts from my head I nearly jumped with excitement, for the boy was standing next to one of the secret passageways, though it looked no different then any of the other wooden panels that lined each and every corridor in the mansion. I realized just how well they were actually hidden.

There was no time to waste. I took the two bewildered girls and pushed them towards the tall boy, who had finally noticed me and was giving me an odd look I didn't register. It didn't occur to me that my eyes were bloodshot and my lips were still tainted a suspicious red.

"Here," I told him, eyeing the stranger fiercely, "take them with you. They won't cause any trouble." I let go of the girls' hands one last time, and my heart suddenly ached for them. I leaned down and kissed the top of Payton's head quickly. "Please look after Kara," I whispered for her ears. "And be careful." She only looked at me through small, fearful eyes, and as hard as it was to leave them, I took a step back and started to turn around.

"Wait!" the boy bellowed suddenly, still with that thick accent, and when I turned around, I could see that the two girls had already been ushered through the passageway. Only the boy hovered near the small opening, eying me expectantly. "You must leave too."

"I have to find my friend first." I still couldn't get the image of Keyla's slumped, lifeless body out of my head.

"But you're hit," he argued, looking seriously concerned. "You won't last much longer."

"Don't worry about me," I called back to him as I rounded the corner, my voice sounding oddly distracted, my head buzzing even more than before. I found my feet tearing across the wooden boards once more, but this time, the muscles in my legs seemed to be disobeying the orders I was giving them. I needed to run faster, push harder, but my body seemed to be shutting down. It felt like I was trying to walk in water, and my arms reached forward helplessly for something to steady myself on, only to grab onto thin air. My neck was pulsing, my breath coming in erratic, short gasps. I had to find Keyla. I couldn't give up now…I couldn't give up…

I felt myself slipping away. With each passing second the world grew more and more blurry, and just as the darkness began pressing against my eye lids, I could hear the faint sound of impending footsteps coming towards me…


	3. Chapter 3

_Privet! _Wow, thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed the second chapter. I was pretty surprised actually, but I guess it means I'm doing something right. XD I also want to hopefully clear up some of the confusion about Anna's powers, which I apologize for not really making clear before. So here it is: Anna's real "gift" is invisibility but she was also born with fangs. She can't retract the fangs, but what she does to make herself appear normal is to basically make part of her fangs invisible, so they look like typical human teeth. In my mind, she can use her invisibility on different parts of her body, allowing her to appear even headless if she really wanted to. (Not sure that will happen in the story though…) I hope that clears up the questions, but don't hesitate to ask me anything if I unknowingly make other things confusing. ;)

As always, have fun and enjoy! Reviews make me smile!

**-FromRussiaWithLove**

**Hiding in the Shadow: **First, I love your name. Second, I've always had a rather large soft spot for Colossus as well. I think his personality can be written in many different ways, so I hope you like how he is in my story!

**TheHollister:** Yes, the second chapter _was_ pretty intense, so that's why I decided to take a little breather from some of the drama in this chapter, and just focus on the characters. But don't worry, violence won't be playing too much of a role in this story. Hope you keep reading!

**Winter Blaze:** OMG. I love chocolate chip cookies too. Alrighty then, I'll just whip up a batch while I take a break from writing. -whistles happily- Thanks for reviewing once again!

**Little Hobbit: **I loved how you commented on my sentences. XD For making me giggle, I'll award you with TWO cookies. And actually, I really had no idea how tall Piotr actually is so thanks for the tidbit. I'll be sure to use it in future chapters. And keep you in suspense? I would never…-smiles winningly-

Also, BIG thanks to **LifeBringsMeOnlyTears**, **Nelle07**, and **mcc1089** for reviewing as well. Hope to see you guys again! ;)

§

**Chapter 3**

**Introductions**

Something was poking my leg. Hard. Eyes still closed, I muttered something incoherent, twisting away from the source of my irritation. As I did, my body felt like it was weighed down with a thousand stones.

My movement seemed to cause some sort of stir. I heard a relieved young voice. "She's finally awake." Dozens of feet scurried to my side, and as I slowly peeked out from under my eyelashes, I found myself suddenly surrounded by a group of children ranging in all ages. The youngest, I slowly realized, was Kara, who was staring at me with eyes as wide as saucers. Next to her was Peyton, who quickly took charge, grabbing my hand and helping me to sit up. As I leaned forward, my hands were soon tangled in a thick, wet mass, and when I looked down, I noticed with a start that I was sitting in grass.

"How are you feeling?" Peyton asked hurriedly, looking at me as if there was more she wanted to say, but was holding herself back.

"Where are we?" Everywhere I looked was smothered in inky blackness. I couldn't even find the reassuring lights from the mansion, and when I turned toward the sky, not one star winked down on me.

Peyton hesitated, turning towards one of the other kids, a boy who looked about thirteen or so. There were tiny slits across either side of his neck; after a moment I realized that they were in facts gills. I almost did a double take.

"Eddie, go get Piotr."

"Why do I have to do it?" the boy complained.

"Just do it," Peyton snapped back, "He told us to go tell him when she woke up."

Piotr? I didn't know any Piotr's. Maybe my ears were starting to play tricks on me. Either that, or perhaps I hadn't entirely woken up entirely. Still sitting on the ground, I timidly stretched out the muscles in my legs. It felt like I hadn't used them in days. My eyes then reached the hem of my nightgown; the fabric looked positively awful. It was torn in different places and caked with dirt, sending me into a frenzy of bewilderment. I tried thinking back to all that had happened today – that is, if it was even the same day – yet all I could piece together in my mind was finding a secret passageway and helping Peyton and Kara escape from the mansion. All of the details were fuzzy and unclear. But what had happened after that? How did _I_ escape? As much as I tried to remember, I could only draw a blank.

I stood up shakily, sliding a hand up to my neck. My fingers grazed the spot where the dart had pierced my skin and unintentionally, a flurry of shivers rose up and down my spine.

"Are you alright?"

My stomach lurched at the sudden voice, nerves tensing despite myself. I whirled around to find a tall boy standing before me, eyes shining like black diamonds in the thick, velvety night. My mind quickly jumped, recognizing him from before as the colossal boy who had urged me to escape through the hidden tunnel as well. For some reason, I felt a huge sense of relief in seeing him again. This was someone I knew, someone I recognized. Yet instead of quieting all of my questions and worries, his presence only seemed to make them resurface again.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said distractedly, even though I could tell from his look that he wasn't exactly encouraged. "I just…" I raked a hand through my long hair, taking a slow, deep breath. _What to even say to him? _I told myself. _What to even say? How did all of this happen? _I could tell I was only making it worse.

"Maybe you should sit down," the tall boy suggested suddenly, gesturing toward a rather abnormally large tree root that seemed to be spurting right out of the earth. "The serum in the darts only knocks you out for a few hours, but it still leaves some side effects."

"Right," I finally managed, wondering just how he knew so much when I was barely even aware of my own surroundings. I sunk down onto the inviting tree root, shaking my head to help clear the thoughts pressing painfully against my temple. I decided to go with the first question on my mind. "If I wasn't awake, then how did I get here? I mean, how did I make it out of the mansion?"

The boy shrugged a shoulder. "I carried you."

"What?"

_What?!_

"I couldn't have just left you there after you fainted," the boy said simply, completely unfazed by my awkward position. It was a good thing the darkness hid my rosy cheeks.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," I muttered, fingering the loose strings of my nightgown. "And I should have listened to you before, I should have left…I was just…" I paused, loosing the right words.

"You wanted to help," the boy remarked keenly after a moment of silence. He sat down next to me. "Most were too scared to do anything but think of themselves."

I listened to his words thoughtfully, thinking back to how I had felt those first few moments when I was woken up by the sound of Siren's terrifying screech. It was hard to imagine that it had only been mere hours ago, when the whole incident seemed light years away. How can things change so suddenly?

"I'm just glad the two girls are okay," I admitted to him, finally letting the relief I had held up inside flow out of me like a soft, cool breeze. It was strange, confining in someone whom I had just met, someone who I had never even seen before until tonight, but it was comforting just the same. Just the thought that I wasn't alone in this whole mess made the darkness surrounding us a little more bearable.

I glanced over at the tall boy, following his gaze toward the small band of children sitting in the grass. I was happiest for those who had somehow found some peace amidst the night's turmoil, curled away from the others in deep slumber. Even though I saw that none of them looked harmed or hurt in any way, I still couldn't help the concern that flowed through my veins. Yet as hard as I tried, when I glanced back at the tall boy, I couldn't find any trace of worry in his features. He merely sat, watching them as quiet and composed as if he were a content parent watching his kids play in the park. No anxiousness, no alarm. Instead, there seemed to be about him an air of undeniable calmness. I couldn't comprehend it.

"My name's Anna, by the way," I told him softly, not wanting to wake the children who were sleeping. Perhaps it was somewhat odd that I never thought to introduce myself earlier. Then again, perhaps it wasn't odd at all given the circumstances. Funny how the simplest things can get lost in such confusion and chaos.

The boy turned to me, a little surprised that I had spoken. I suppose we had sat in silence for longer than I thought. He merely gave a small, polite nod, taking his hand and offering it to me.

"My name is Piotr."

I put my smaller hand into his, and I could tell he used care not to grasp it too hard. I gave a small smile despite myself. His next words were soft as well.

"Pleased to meet you, Anya."


	4. Chapter 4

_Privet! _Sorry I haven't updated in a few weeks; homework has seriously taken up all my energy and time as of late, so it's been difficult to just sit down and write my little creative heart away. Just two and a half weeks till spring break, two and a half weeks…

But in any case, here's the fourth chapter! Woot! All of you guys have been absolutely awesome with the reviews and I love it when I hear from different people, so keep 'em coming! Oh, and just out of curiosity, I was wondering what your guy's favorite X-men character is. I've always loved Nightcrawler and Colossus myself, but I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks!

As always, have fun and enjoy! Hope you all like the chapter!

**-FromRussiaWithLove**

**Hiding in the Shadow**: I agree, Piotr is such a sweetie. I think there's a little dose of Russian sweetness in this chapter. ;) And yes, your name rocks!

**Andrew Fisher15**: Oooooo, a new face. Thanks for checking out my story and reviewing!

**talksome.jive**: Wow. That was really nice of you to say! I'm really glad that you're giving the character a second chance. Thanks so much for reviewing!

**olivejuice48**: Offended? Mais non! I actually think it's really cool that you mentioned that; I'll be sure to check out some of your stories soon and see for myself. And thanks for all the smiles! 

And of course, I cannot forget my promised cookies to **Winter Blaze** and **Little Hobbit**; sorry for the wait guys! XD But oh, aren't they delicious? Mmmhmm.

Thank you to everyone else who reviewed! Love you guys!

**Chapter 4**

**Moments**

Neither of us slept that first night. I think there were just too many thoughts running around in our minds for us to fully relax, or perhaps sleeping just seemed irrelevant in comparison to everything else that needed to be done. With the night's warm breath tickling our bare feet and necks, Piotr and I remained on the thick tree root, staring ahead into the darkness. I couldn't shake off the eerie feeling rippling under my skin, though I tried not to dwell on the matter. The dark had always left me out of sorts when I was little.

A while ago I had asked Piotr how old he was out of curiosity. After all, I don't remember seeing him at all around the mansion, and it's obvious from just one look at the guy that he isn't someone you'd likely forget. When I asked, he gave a low chuckle of amusement. I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction; he didn't seem like the type of person to laugh so easily.

"Guess," he had said.

So I thought about it for a while and had guessed twenty, and he had said no, only seventeen. I couldn't believe my ears at first. There was just no way he could only be two years older than me. But when I prodded him about it he had only laughed again and said it was so.

"Then how come I've never seen you in any of classes? Or even around the mansion?"

"Perhaps you were not looking in the right places," came his candid reply.

I would've liked to ask more about him, where he came from, how he ended up at the mansion, what his powers were, but I knew there were more pressing matters at hand. For the moment, I tried my best to quell some of the curiosity bubbling up inside of me.

Before, I had been completely oblivious of my surroundings, but as I paid closer attention to the scenery around me and as my eyes became adjusted to the darkness, I finally realized that we weren't all that far from the mansion at all. I thought back to that crisp autumn day when I first arrived at the mansion, and I could clearly recall the incredibly enormous and lush wooded area that completely surrounded the backside of the school, the statuesque trees seemingly stretching their willowy arms as if to protect it from any harm. Perhaps they hadn't succeeded in defending the school, but I didn't doubt their strength now. Amongst the thick brush and broad trees, I could tell it would be near impossible for any of those soldiers to find us. That is, if they were still there.

The thought was too much to keep in. So I asked Piotr.

"I don't believe they would want to stay any longer than they have already. They've already done what they came here to do." Though Piotr spoke softly, his voice was low in bitterness and pain. It was the first time the entire night I had heard him express such feeling, and I could feel my throat constrict at his words. He seemed unused to opening up in such a way, for immediately afterwards he turned away as if self-conscious, focusing on the children instead, as they slept on peacefully.

"It's alright to feel angry, Piotr," I told him gently.

"Anger cannot change what happened."

I paused. "Nothing can," I said after a while.

He finally turned to look back at me. There was a question in his eyes, yet when he opened his mouth, the words seemed to fail him. I wondered what he was struggling with but I decided not to say anything. I thought it best to wait. The whistling rustle of leaves filled the otherwise silent night as a sudden, cool breeze drifted along the clearing and through the endless trees. The brisk air left a chill down my spine.

"At the mansion, before…" Piotr began gingerly, "Did anything…did you…"

But he never had the chance to finish, for right at that moment a low, muffled sound interrupted his words, and as we simultaneously locked eyes, I realized it was coming from where the children were sleeping.

"It sounds like crying," I whispered worriedly.

In response, Piotr's eyebrows knotted, looking around the forest as if expecting something else. "Are you sure?"

I stood up from the root, wriggling my toes in the soft, packed earth. The sound was clearer now, and I knew I couldn't be wrong. "Yeah," I replied as I took a few tentative steps forward in the darkness. "Come on."

The kids weren't really a long way off, but the night's blanket seemed to smother us in every direction; it was so hard to see that at one point I stumbled upon a thick branch and would have nearly fallen flat on my face if Piotr hadn't been there to steady me. After that, he insisted to lead the way instead. As we continued forward, he often looked back every few seconds to see if I was doing alright.

When we finally arrived at the soft clearing, it wasn't difficult to trace where the sound was coming from. Curled in a sort of protective shell, with her knees pulled up firmly to her cheeks, Kara sat a few feet away from everyone else, and I could see even from where I was standing that her shoulders were trembling. My stomach danced knots. I turned too look up at Piotr, and felt the concern in his eyes as well. Giving a small sigh, I began to walk towards her.

I saw her back stiffen as my footsteps grew nearer, and when I crouched down to have a better look at her, the small girl only shied away from me. I reached out and neatly tucked some unruly ringlets behind her ear.

"Kara, what's wrong? Did something happen? Did you have a bad dream?"

She didn't say anything. Her eyes grew wide and fearful, but they remained fixed on the ground, not daring to look up at me. Her body was still shaking slightly.

"Is that why you want to stay awake? Because you had a bad dream?" I asked gently, laying a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her.

The girl was struggling to keep the problem hidden. Yet as the silence wore on, she finally gave a low nod, lips trembling fearfully.

"They were there…in my dream, they were there…" Kara's voice sounded painfully foreign to my own ears, and it was with a heavy heart that I realized it was because I had never seen her so terrified before. Her voice sounded like it would crumble any minute, much like this young, fragile girl herself.

"They're not here anymore," I said. "It's okay. They're not here anymore."

After she allowed herself to admit her fears, it didn't take much to convince her to stay with us for the night; it was obvious she was still terrified to go to sleep but was too afraid to be up in the eerie loneliness of the dark woods. Piotr carried her back to our ever faithful root, holding her with great care, like a porcelain china doll. As I watched Kara easily nestle in his strong arms, I couldn't help but think back to earlier that night, when Piotr said he had carried me himself out of the mansion and to the safety of the woods. I wondered if I had looked just as helpless as her.

Kara remained in his arms the rest of the night, fighting to stay awake even as her eyelids began to flutter downwards and her shoulders stopped trembling. Finally, the soft conversation between Piotr and I lulled her to sleep, her breaths coming slow and calm. The worry that had been etched across her features with such severity before now was nowhere to be found. She looked so serene, I almost wanted to cry.

"You're very good with children, you know," Piotr said after a while, making sure the girl was fully asleep before he opened his mouth. I turned to him, astonished.

"Me? I think you mean _you_." I couldn't comprehend what he was talking about, for his natural ease around children was something I definitely did not possess.

"_Nyet_," he spoke in his native tongue. "They are calm around you. They trust you. But me, most children take one look at me and are too afraid to even move."

"No," I disagreed, flashing a small but teasing smile, "I'm sure some run away too."

Piotr only laughed, not even pretending to be offended. In that moment, I believe we both wanted to escape for just a little while, to talk and laugh and joke before the sun rose on the cruel reality of our situation. So, as the darkness thinned out to a pale shadow and the sky became a luminous, morning masterpiece, we held those moments close and didn't let go. We had no idea as to what would await us that morning, or what would happen tomorrow, or the day after. We had no idea as to what would happen to us at all. But even so, we had those moments locked away deep inside of us, the laughter, the happiness, so if we ever found ourselves losing faith along the journey, we could easily discover it once again.


End file.
